A student being held over the Moi Girls’ High School arson attack had raised complaints of rampant lesbianism at the institution, her parents have said.

The September 2 fire, left nine girls dead.

The parents said their daughter is being framed for the attack as she is an “easy target”.

They said it was their 14-year-old daughter who sounded the alarm when the fire broke out.

Speaking to the Star, the parents said they have in their possession a letter from their daughter, articulating issues that were not in order in theschool.

The student had also drafted a similar letter to the school administration.

Efforts to reach the student’s class teacher yesterday were unsuccessful.

Issues of lesbianism and poor hygiene, especially in the toilets and bathrooms, were some of her main concerns.

According to the mother, her daughter appeared to have struggled to deal with several attacks as some girls in the upper classes allegedly tried to recruit her.

The student is said to have received several letters inviting her into lesbianism.

“She once talked about girls coming to her bed wearing masks and touching her. They would tell her they want to have a relationship with her and she would refuse. Sometimes she would get notes being slipped into her bed written ‘I love you’,” the mother said.

The student had also talked about a girl who screams in the dormitory at night, which to her was not normal. The letter handed over to the school’s administration has not been responded to.

The girl appeared in court on September 6, but she is yet to take a plea, pending further investigations.

She is being detained at the Kilimani police station. The case will be mentioned on Wednesday.

When the fire broke out, the student had left her bed to go relieve herself and on her way to the washrooms, she came across a girl, whom she cannot identify, but only remembers was in pajamas.

On her way back to the cubicle, she found her bed on fire. She immediately started waking up other students.

Her parents are saying they do not understand how their daughter, who volunteered the information, is being treated as a prime suspect in the arson attack.

“My child was the first person who said the fire started in her bed. She volunteered the information. How it was turned around that she is alleged to have committed the attack is puzzling. But eventually the truth will come out,” the father said.

Claims of the girl being suicidal were also dismissed by the parents.

They said at no point has their daughter shown signs of committing suicide or ever been expelled or suspended from school.

Her father said no institution would keep a suicidal girl in school, without informing the parents.

“They are talking about three incidents. One attempt is enough for the institution to summon the parents and inform us that our child is suicidal. The school did not inform us. We do not know where that information is coming from,” he said

“Our daughter is the darling of the family. She is the only person who remembers everybody’s birthday. Without her sometimes, we forget there is an occasion in the house. She is also a quiet girl. At home, she talks, but in school she is a bit reserved.”

According to the parents, the fact that their daughter had issues of adapting to boarding life and that the fire started on her bed, does not qualify her to be named as the prime suspect.

“She is not the first child to not fit into boarding school. Whoever lit that fire is a clever person, because that person identified that the bed was empty,” the father said.

In addition, the mother said she has received several calls from other parents, who claim they know what transpired and believe her daughter is being framed.

“I feel sorry for the students who lost their lives. I also want to get to the truth of the matter,” she said.